Mom offers $5,000 for information on daughter

May 16, 2007|by KAREN HANNA

A concerned mother is offering $5,000 for information that leads to her daughter, who is believed to be traveling with a man suspected of armed robbery and carjacking, according to Washington County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Roy Harsh.

Harsh said Tuesday that Jessica Elizabeth Barnes' mother put up the reward money because she is worried about her daughter, who is married to Jamie Parker Barnes, a suspect in a May 2 carjacking and robbery of Williamsport Pharmacy.

"This is basically her mom's idea because she's concerned about her welfare," Harsh said.

A man with a handgun took OxyContin and other prescription medication from the pharmacy at 31 N. Conococheague St. at about 10 a.m. before running off, police said. About two minutes after they responded to the robbery, deputies received a call about a carjacking near Md. 68 and Spielman Road in Williamsport, police said.

Police said the carjacking victim, a 48-year-old Hedgesville, W.Va., woman, stopped her vehicle to check on a man who had wrecked his vehicle. The man got in the woman's vehicle and told her to drive, police said.

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Police said the woman drove down Spielman Road until the carjacker told her to get out of the vehicle. After the carjacking, the victim was treated at Washington County Hospital and released.

Jessica Barnes is not charged, Harsh said.

"Oh, they're definitely together. They were last seen on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle traveling together shortly after the carjacking," Harsh said.

Police found the motorcycle May 4 at a hotel near Winchester, Va., Harsh said.

Jamie Barnes is about 5 feet 7 inches tall, and he weighs about 150 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes, said Harsh, who could not provide a description of Jessica Barnes.

Harsh said Jamie Barnes also goes by the last name of "Okal."

Harsh said rewards for information were fairly common when a crime solvers' organization was around to raise the money, but it broke up about two years ago.

"It was another tool that we could use to help motivate people to offer up information. I mean, everyone's always looking for ways to make a couple extra bucks," Harsh said.

Harsh asked that people with information about the case call him at 240-313-2183.